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Bird Science

New Study Shakes Up Long-held Belief on Woodpecker Hammering
July 14, 2022 — The findings refute the theory that the birds’ skulls act like helmets, absorbing the shock of impact. Instead, they minimize it to strike harder.
Injury or Illusion? Why a Bird With a Broken Wing May Not Be What It Appears
April 28, 2022 — Some species feign injuries to protect their nests from predators—a more common behavior than previously thought, new research shows.
Bird Behavior
North American Birds Face Their Own Pandemic With Latest Bout of Avian Flu
April 21, 2022 — Typically a threat to mainly domestic poultry, the virus has infected and killed an unprecedented number of wild birds, worrying experts.
Conservation News
How and Why Did Bird Migration Evolve?
April 19, 2022 — The drive for birds to migrate is at least partially genetic. How those genes developed—and how they function in modern birds—isn't fully known.
Bird Migration
Oldest Known Roseate Spoonbill Identified Thanks to Lucky Photograph
April 18, 2022 — After closely examining images taken by photographer Mac Stone, experts were able to identify a spoonbill banded as a chick 18 years ago.
Bird News
Silhouettes of large birds fly across the a pink and gray sky in a line. A large full moon in centered in the frame behind them.
A Brief History of How Scientists Have Learned About Bird Migration
April 13, 2022 — Researchers today can follow birds' paths as they fly thousands of miles. But it wasn't always that way. Scroll through more than two centuries of advances in understanding this natural wonder.
Bird Migration
A Lunar Eclipse Sheds Light On a Fascinating Behavior In Birds
April 11, 2022 — Recent research reveals that Black Swifts ascend to remarkable heights when the moon is full. Why they do so is more of a mystery.
Can Laser Pointers Help Solve a City’s Crow Problem?
March 01, 2022 — Sunnyvale, California recently began using lasers to deter large flocks of roosting crows. The effectiveness of these tools, however, can vary.
Conservation News
Many Birds Are Shrinking and Growing Longer Wings as the World Warms. Why?
February 07, 2022 — A growing body of research suggests a warming world could mean smaller birds with longer wings, but nothing about the findings is settled.
Climate
A Magnetic ‘Stop Sign’ Tells These Birds Where to Nest
January 27, 2022 — Nearly eight decades of banding data help dissect how songbirds return to the same breeding territory year after year.